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14 September 2007, NB, Canada. Length: 12mm
On trail in dense forest. I keyed it to vomitoria but it doesn't fit with Susan's description HERE; spiracle is orange, not black. Can't figure out what else it could be.

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Hi Tony
I think this is vomitoria, though you are right to question it. Usually the anterior spiracle would be darker, and the orange hairs extend further forward onto the cheeks. Perhaps the American vomitoria are beginning to show some differences from the European originals! It would be worth showing any problems to Terry Whitworth. He is likely to be able to sort them out straight away.

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Tony

Read both parts of couplet 8 really carefully. I keyed it to vomitoria too, but then read the second part of that couplet. I think you can move on, and probably end up at terraenovae, but having no experience of this species, I think you need to go to someone local.

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Sometimes the obvious is obscure. Thanks, I have sent an e-mail and the images to Whitworth.

Susan: I initially came up with terraenovae but Whitworth states that he has never seen it from eastern localites; can't get too much further east than NB.

I wish these scientific papers would give more info. on biology and habits/habitats. Whitworth does make many referrals to Rognes but these refs. may not be that easy to get in North Anerica.

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Tony

I know - I read that bit and was a bit perplexed, but I think what Whitworth may be saying is that he has never seen eastern specimens. He also gives its distribution as Alaska to Greenland somewhere, and in the key says 'widespread from Alaska to Newfoundland, south to southern California and Texas, usually at higher elevations in the west.' Rognes does not include this species.

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Heard back from Whitworth, he thinks it is vomitoria but would not make a 100% identification without seeing the actual specimen. He offered to positively ID any specimens I send him.